Czech Republic

Eastern block gem shakes off communist past for connected future

The Czech Republic, comprising the ancient kingdoms of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, provides a central stepping off point for exploring the rest of Eastern Europe. The speed at with the republic modernized put it at the head of the line for the European Union’s new intake of states in May 2004.

SuperCity Pendolino trains serve riders on several top routes within the country and to neighboring Vienna and local routes are largely served by older trains. The Republic is covered by the Eurail Austria-Czech Pass, a good thing if you plan on covering both countries on your trip.

 Since January 2008, the country’s borders with all neighboring countries have been completely open, negating the need for passport checks. It still will be several years until the euro is adopted here, which makes it a relative bargain for travelers exchanging dollars.